Design of fluorescence system based on rutin functionalized gold nanoparticles: Sensitive detection of etimicin via a smartphone in the food and human samples

The abuse and contamination of antibiotics have long been a hot issue of global concern. On the basis of inner filter effect (IFE), this article established the fluorescence detection system of a mixture of Rutin-AuNPs and 7-hydroxycoumarin, realizing the rapid and sensitive detection of etimicin. The system was also successfully applied to actual samples through a smartphone sensing platform. Due to the antioxidant property of rutin, Rutin-AuNPs were green synthesized with uniform particle size, good monodispersity, and favorable stability. As a good fluorescent quencher, Rutin-AuNPs could effectively quench the fluorescence of 7-hydroxycoumarin based on IFE with a quenching percent of 89.81 %. However, etimicin could bind tightly to the surface of Rutin-AuNPs through charge attraction, Au-N bond, and affinity between sugars, leading to the replacement of 7-hydroxycoumarin. In addition, one or more of the above effects caused aggregation of Rutin-AuNPs, leading to fluorescence recovery rapidly. A linear response between the fluorescence system and etimicin was reasonably established with detection limits as low as 0.12 μM. This system was successfully applied to real sample detection. Moreover, the great potential smartphone sensing platform was also built for practical application owing to its advantages of digitalization and portability.     

Characterization of Food Packaging Films with Blackcurrant Fruit Waste as a Source of Antioxidant and Color Sensing Intelligent Material

Chitosan and pectin films were enriched with blackcurrant pomace powder (10 and 20% (w/w)), as bio-based material, to minimize food production losses and to increase the functional properties of produced films aimed at food coatings and wrappers. Water vapor permeability of active films increased up to 25%, moisture content for 27% in pectin-based ones, but water solubility was not significantly modified. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus) were mainly decreased due to the residual insoluble particles present in blackcurrant waste. FTIR analysis showed no significant changes between the film samples. The degradation temperatures, determined by DSC, were reduced by 18 °C for chitosan-based samples and of 32 °C lower for the pectin-based samples with blackcurrant powder, indicating a disturbance in polymer stability. The antioxidant activity of active films was increased up to 30-fold. Lightness and redness of dry films significantly changed depending on the polymer type. Significant color changes, especially in chitosan film formulations, were observed after exposure to different pH buffers. This effect is further explored in formulations that were used as color change indicators for intelligent biopackaging.     

Lemon Oils Attenuate the Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Quorum Sensing Inhibition

The chemical composition of three Citrus limon oils: lemon essential oil (LEO), lemon terpenes (LT) and lemon essence (LE), and their influence in the virulence factors production and motility (swarming and swimming) of two Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (ATCC 27853 and a multidrug-resistant HT5) were investigated. The main compound, limonene, was also tested in biological assays. Eighty-four compounds, accounting for a relative peak area of 99.23%, 98.58% and 99.64%, were identified by GC/MS. Limonene (59–60%), γ-terpinene (10–11%) and β-pinene (7–15%) were the main compounds. All lemon oils inhibited specific biofilm production and bacterial metabolic activities into biofilm in a dose-dependent manner (20–65%, in the range of 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) of both strains. Besides, all samples inhibited about 50% of the elastase activity at 0.1 mg mL⁻¹. Pyocyanin biosynthesis decreases until 64% (0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) for both strains. Swarming motility of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was completely inhibited by 2 mg mL⁻¹ of lemon oils. Furthermore, a decrease (29–55%, 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) in the synthesis of Quorum sensing (QS) signals was observed. The oils showed higher biological activities than limonene. Hence, their ability to control the biofilm of P. aeruginosa and reduce the production of virulence factors regulated by QS makes lemon oils good candidates to be applied as preservatives in the food processing industry.     

Selective sensing of CrVI and FeIII ions in aqueous solution by an exceptionally stable TbIII-organic framework with an AIE-active ligand

We herein report a new lanthanide metal-organic framework (MOF) that exhibits excellent chemical stability, especially in the aqueous solution over a wide pH range from 1 to 14. In contrast to many reported lanthanide MOFs, this Tb-based MOF emits cyan fluorescence inherited from the integrated AIE-active ligand, rather than Ln³⁺ ions. More remarkably, its fluorescence signal features a highly selective and sensitive “turn-off” response toward CrO₄²⁻, Cr₂O₇²⁻ and Fe³⁺ ions, highlighted with the low detection limits down to 68.18, 69.85 and 138.8 ppm, respectively. Thus, the exceptional structural stability and sensing performance render this material able to be a superior luminescent sensor for heavy metal ions in wastewater.     

Synergistic Catalytic Acceleration of MXene/MWCNTs as Decorating Materials for Ultrasensitive Detection of Morphine

Ti₃C₂T_X MXene was synthesized by exfoliating pristine Ti₃AlC₂ phase with hydrofluoric acid. The simple methods of mechanical mixing and drop-casting of Ti₃C₂T_X and MWCNTs were carried out to prepare sensing electrode of Ti₃C₂T_X/MWCNTs/GCE. The composite and topography, especially the surface functional groups of Ti₃C₂T_X/MWCNTs were analyzed by XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectrum. The results turned out that Ti₃C₂T_X was characteristic by accordion-like 2D nanostructure with the surfaces terminated with −OH, −F, and =O. When combining with acid pretreated, the interaction between the functional groups of Ti₃C₂T_X and MWCNTs facilitated the convenience and reproducibility of the robust modified electrodes and could make Ti₃C₂T_X/MWCNTs/GCE possess good synergistic catalytic acceleration by increasing the electron transfer efficiency as well as adsorption and aggregation of MOP analyte onto the electrode surface. Versatile electrochemical measurements of CV, DPV and EIS were used to investigate the electrochemical performance of Ti₃C₂T_X/MWCNTs/GCE sensing platform. The linear detection range is 0.01–100 μM with the limit of detection of 0.0092 μM (S/N=3). The sensor has good stability, repeatability, reproducibility and anti-interference. In the detection of serum and urine samples, it has a good recovery rate.     

基于压缩感知的矢量阵聚焦定位方法

本文针对噪声源近场定位识别问题,利用声源分布在空间域具有稀疏性,在压缩感知理论框架下建立了新体系下的矢量阵聚焦波束形成方法,用于解决同频相干声源的定位识别问题.新方法可在小快拍下准确获得噪声源的空间位置,且不损失对噪声源贡献相对大小的评价能力.通过详细的理论推导、仿真分析和试验验证,证明了基于压缩感知的矢量阵聚焦定位新方法本质上实现了l1范数正则化求解下的波形恢复和空间谱估计,因此具有较高的定位精度,较强的相干声源分辨能力、准确的声源贡献相对大小评价能力以及较高的背景压制能力,可应用于水下复杂噪声源的定位识别.     

基于压缩感知的动态散射成像

利用基于压缩感知的成像系统可以透过静态的散射介质获得高质量的重建图像. 但是当散射介质动态变化时, 因为采样所得的测量值受到散射介质衰减系数非线性变化的影响, 重建图像质量会大大下降. 针对上述情况, 本文提出基于压缩感知成像系统的测量值线性拉伸算法, 该算法能够对所得到的非线性测量值进行分析, 根据测量值大小的不同将测量值划分成数个区域并计算补偿系数, 从而根据补偿系数进行测量值线性拉伸变换, 使测量值线性化. 最后再对变换后的测量值进行压缩感知重建计算. 通过理论分析、计算机仿真和实验证明了所提算法能够有效地应对动态的散射介质, 提高基于压缩感知成像系统在透过动态散射介质时的图像重建质量.     

Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜的室温气敏性能及其气敏机理

采用化学气相沉积方法在预制好电极的玻璃基底上制备出Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜和纯ZnO薄膜. 两种样品典型的形貌为四足状ZnO晶须, 其直径约为150-400 nm, 呈疏松状结构. 气敏测试结果显示Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜具有优良的室温气敏性, 并对乙醇具有良好的气敏选择性, 而纯ZnO薄膜在室温条件下对乙醇和丙酮均没有气敏响应. X射线衍射结果表明两种样品均为六方纤锌矿结构. Sn掺杂ZnO样品中没有出现Sn及其氧化物的衍射峰, 其衍射结果与纯ZnO样品对比, 衍射峰向小角度偏移. 光致发光结果表明, Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜与纯ZnO薄膜均出现紫外发光峰和缺陷发光峰, 但是Sn的掺杂使得ZnO的缺陷发光峰明显增强. 将Sn掺杂ZnO样品在空气中退火后, 其室温气敏性消失, 说明Sn掺杂ZnO样品的室温气敏性可能与其缺陷含量高有关. 采用自由电子散射模型解释了Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜的室温气敏机理.     

基于偏振特性对石英玻璃和绿漆涂层的反演

物质的偏振特性与其复折射率、表面粗糙度以及观测几何条件有关,为了应用偏振探测技术实现对目标的定量反演,本文首先对两种典型目标(绿漆涂层和石英玻璃)的偏振特性进行了实验测定,并对偏振度与探测天顶角的关系进行了分析。利用实验数据并基于描述目标偏振特性的PG模型首次在考虑了粗糙度的影响下,对目标的折射率、消光系数进行了定量反演,最后将反演结果与参考结果进行比较。结果表明,石英玻璃的折射率相对误差为4.944 9%,绿漆涂层的折射率与消光系数的相对误差分别为11%和21.558 9%。该方法在考虑表面粗糙度的条件下能够更精确地测定物质的复折射率,同时也为偏振技术应用于目标定量反演提供了依据。     

Agile Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents by Machine Vision: a Supramolecular Approach

The supramolecular detection by image analysis of a simulant chemical warfare agent on a solid device containing a selective molecular sensor based on a BODIPY scaffold is reported. The recognition properties were investigated in solution, demonstrating high affinity (log K 6.60) and sensitivity (LOD 10 ppt). A test strip also confirmed the sensing properties in gas phase. Image analysis of the solid device allows quantitative information about the simulant to be obtained, recovering the sensor almost 5 times and thus confirming the goal of the supramolecular approach.